Our body is a fascinating and complex system, and blood plays a fundamental role in its functioning. It is precisely the elements that make up our blood that can become markers of tumours or diseases and thus help us to understand their evolution and, preferably, their disappearance. Lactic acid and its analysis can help us, among other things, to monitor conditions such as sepsis, but also lactic acidosis, which can cause too little oxygen to reach the body’s tissues.
It is therefore necessary to have a laboratory capable of performing this test and all other relevant lactic acid related tests in order to provide a better diagnosis. As in Ambar Lab is counting on them, let’s see why this test is so important and what results it can help us to elucidate.
What is lactic acid?
Lactic acid is an end product created by our body when it detects that the amount of oxygen in the cells is decreasing in the areas where metabolism is taking place. It can also make the transformation if it senses sympathetic hyperactivity due to exercise or epinephrine-type substances.
Lactate is one of the most monitored substances in runners and athletes under regular medical supervision, as during frequent exercise they experience the pure aerobic endurance phase. During this phase, fat metabolism is activated more than glucose metabolism, and lactate (the lactic acid anion) concentration remains within basal levels.
It is during this phase that the type I muscle fibres, also known as red fibres, are activated and used, which are the most suitable for endurance work. Subsequently, there is a phase change with an increase in exercise intensity, which demands more energy. Because fats cannot provide enough energy, the body begins to burn glucose, resulting in an increase in lactate levels.
Up to this point, lactate is not yet triggered in the body, so levels remain moderate. However, in the third phase of exercise, when the intensity requires more power and energy, glucose begins to degrade. This leads to the accumulation of lactate, which exceeds its elimination, resulting in metabolic instability.
What happens in the body?
Lactate concentration indicates that the body is using a different energy pathway than usual. Assessing the optimisation of this pathway is crucial for certain sport disciplines and training levels. However, lactate causes metabolic acidosis, which physiologically induces a neuromotor block, creating a state of fatigue. This decreases the performance of the athlete or runner.
It is therefore essential that athletes learn to better tolerate this acidity through compensatory buffering mechanisms. Some athletes can manage and maintain their performance under these conditions, while others cannot, resulting in a decreased ability to withstand the intensity of exercise.
In this case, lactic acid levels need to be lowered. One of the best ways to achieve this is through training, getting the body used to the sport so that it adapts and develops its own mechanisms to reduce lactate accumulation and increase tolerance to its concentration.
It will be essential in this case that the doctor works closely with the patient, following laboratory tests., with a coach to help you design a series of exercises aimed at improving lactate tolerance. We will need to know the aerobic and anaerobic levels that a stress test will provide.
These values indicate the point at which the body begins to accumulate lactic acid above basal levels and the threshold at which it spikes to higher levels, which can lead to a loss of stability. With this information, we can plan high intensity workouts effectively.
In these cases, short, high-intensity sets with recovery intervals are recommended. This type of training addresses lactate from the moment it begins to accumulate, accustoming the body, and especially the muscles, to its presence. Over time, the athlete or sportsman or woman will build up a tolerance to lactic acid, thus reducing fatigue.
Lactic acid tests
Lactic acid is used in analysis, particularly in sports and medical settings, to assess physical performance, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, and to diagnose and monitor certain health conditions. However, the lactic acid test is mainly used for:
Blood lactate tests
During exercise testing, blood lactate levels are measured to determine the lactate threshold, i.e. the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the blood. This result is crucial in identifying the exercise intensity that an athlete can maintain before fatigue becomes a limiting factor.
Meanwhile, stress tests will measure lactate at different stages of exercise intensity to assess the athlete’s metabolic efficiency and endurance capacity. Elevated lactate levels may indicate tissue oxygenation problems, such as in cases of shock, sepsis, heart failure or metabolic disease. Blood lactate testing is also used for the diagnosis and monitoring of these conditions.
Cerebrospinal fluid lactate tests
Lactate levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can be used in the neurological diagnosis to identify infections such as meningitis, encephalitis and metabolic diseases affecting the central nervous system.
Lactate testing in the food industry
Lactic acid is not only measured in humans, but is also used in the food industry, in particular during the production of fermented foods such as yoghurt, cheese and/or pickles to ensure the quality and safety of the final product.
Lactate analysis procedure
The first thing the laboratory does is to take a blood sample, usually from a vein. In a sports context, the sample may be taken from the earlobe or finger during exercise.
These samples shall be properly analysed using laboratory equipment such as blood gas analysers, spectrophotometers or chromatography equipment. In sports, portable devices are used for immediate on-field lactate measurement.
The results shall be interpreted considering the health status of the individual, the intensity and duration of exercise, or the specific production conditions in the food industry, if that is the purpose of the lactic acid test.
Benefits of lactate analysis
This test is one of the most sought-after tests for creating routines for high-intensity athletes. However, that is not the only advantage that this test can have:
Severity indicator.
Elevated blood lactate levels can indicate the severity of sepsis, which helps clinicians assess the patient’s critical condition and monitor treatment in real time to improve tissue perfusion and oxygenation.
Diagnosis
Abnormal lactate levels may indicate the presence of metabolic disorders, such as pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency or Leigh’s disease.
Circulatory problems
These elevated levels may indicate tissue hypoxia, facts which in turn can help diagnose conditions such as heart failure, shock or respiratory failure.
Understanding biological processes
Lactic acid analysis helps researchers to better understand metabolic processes and physiological responses to exercise and different pathological conditions.
Early detection
If lactate levels are high can be an early sign of serious problems, therefore the detection will lead to rapid interventions, improving the patient’s chances of recovery.
Lactic acid and sepsis
Lactic acid plays a crucial role in the assessment of sepsis. The accumulation of lactate in the blood is a consequence of the tissue hypoxia and mitochondrial dysfunction that occurs in this condition.
Los niveles de lactato son indicadores clave de la gravedad de esta enfermedad y de la eficacia de las intervenciones terapéuticas, influyendo directamente en el pronóstico del paciente.
During sepsis, tissue perfusion can be severely compromised due to circulatory dysfunction. This results in tissue hypoxia (lack of oxygen), leading to increased lactic acid production as a result of anaerobic glycolysis.
Increased production and subsequent accumulation in the blood leads to lactic acidosis. (a form of metabolic acidosis). This condition is characterised by a low blood pH and a high concentration of lactate in the blood.
Reducing lactate levels through improved tissue perfusion is a key goal in the treatment of sepsis. These may include intravenous fluids, vasopressors and other interventions to improve circulation and oxygen supply to tissues. Continuous monitoring of the presence of lactic acid will help clinicians adjust treatment in real time and assess the effectiveness of interventions.
Ambar Lab
Given the importance and assistance that lactic acid analysis can provide, it is essential to have a laboratory capable of providing data and all kinds of additional tests. At Ambar Lab we have more than 3,000 laboratory tests, support in the management of your business and the development of new projects. If you want to know more about our team or have any questions, just get in touch with us. Shall we talk?